The invention relates to implementation of specialized resource functions (SRFs) associated with wireless intelligent network (WIN). It finds particular application in conjunction with implementation of the SRFs in a mobile switch center (MSC) and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention is also amenable to other applications.
WIN capabilities are generally known in the art and specified in TIA/EIA/IS-771, Chapter 4, which is incorporated herein by reference. A wireless network model supporting WIN capabilities is shown in TIA/EIA/IS-771, Chapter 3, Section 5, which is incorporated herein by reference. FIG. 1 depicts previous wireless network infrastructure entities of the IS-771 wireless network model that are pertinent to the invention. As shown, the previous wireless network 10 includes a home location register (HLR) 12, a service control point (SCP) 14, an intelligent peripheral (IP) 16, a mobile switching center (MSC)/visitor location register (VLR) 18, and a remaining overall network 20 including further infrastructure entities and mobile stations (MSs).
In the previous wireless network 10, the functionalities of the most pertinent entities are as follows: the SCP 14 provides service control functions (SCFs), the MSC 18 provides service switch functions (SSFs), and the IP 16 provides specialized resource functions (SRFs). The SRFs provided by the IP 16 include playing announcements, collecting digits, performing speech-to-text or text-to-speech conversion, recording and storing voice messages, facsimile services, data services, etc. In order to perform SRFs, the IP 16 requires a signaling link 22 with the MSC 18, SCP 14, and the overall network 20. Additionally, a voice trunk 24 is required between the IP 16 and the MSC 18 and another voice trunk 24 is required between the IP 16 and the overall network 20.
There is a particular need in wireless networks to continuously reduce hardware entities, signaling links between hardware entities, and voice trunks between hardware entities to minimize cost and maximize performance. The invention contemplates implementation of SRFs associated with WIN in the MSC, thereby eliminating the IP, one or more signaling links associated with the IP, and one or more voice trunks associated with the IP. Accordingly, the invention overcomes at least one of the above-mentioned problems and others.